Protective appliance



pr l, E936. H. JACKSON ET AL PROTECTIVE APPLIANCE Filed July 2, 1934 0INVENToRs d@ A'rrQnNEvs n? da 0450/7 fui/.Q

Patented Apr. 21, 1936 PATENT OFFICE PROTECTIVE APPLIANCE Harry Jacksonand Mary E. Jackson, Harrisburg, Pa.

Application July 2, 1934, Serial No. 733,492

1 Claim.

The invention relates to a protective appliance and more especially to asafety device for use in banks or the like.

The primary object of the invention is the provision of an appliance ordevice of this character, wherein through the use of a depressibleplatform and a signalling system or a trap, when a person bearingsuspicion of the attemptl of theft within a bank or the like treads uponthe platform, a warning will be had, or the person upon the platform canbe trapped, the appliance or device being of novel construction andautomatic either for signalling purposes or trap action.

Another object of the invention is the provision of an appliance ordevice of this character, wherein the platform is arranged at theexchange window within a bank or the like so that on the attempt oftheft by an unscrupulous person the platform will be operative forsetting in action instrumentalities either of signalling or trappingpurposes, these being concealed from view so that such malicious personcannot possibly have knowledge thereof and thus in advance defeat thepurpose of the same, the instrumentalities being located beneath theiioor line and thus inaccessible above the same and suchinstrumentalities being automatically operated.

A further object of the invention is the provision of an appliance ordevice of this character which is comparatively simple in itsconstruction, thoroughly reliable and eflicient in its purposes, readilyand easily mountable in position for use, strong, durable, andinexpensive to manufacture and install.

With these and other objects in view, the invention consists in thefeatures of construction, combination and arrangement of parts as willbe hereinafter more fully described in detail, illustrated in theaccompanying drawing, which discloses the preferred embodiment of theinvention, and pointed out in the claim hereunto appended.

InV the accompanying drawing:

Figure 1 is a fragmentary vertical longitudinal sectional View throughra trapping appliance or device constructed in accordance with theinvention.

Figure 2 is a top plan view thereof.

Similar reference characters indicate corresponding parts throughout theseveral views in the drawing.

Referring to the drawing in detail, a clearance or space 39 in the floor40 which space is sury rounded by a curbing A accommodates, in additionto the platform 4|, a trap casing 42, this having connection with guides43 for the vertical travel thereof, either above or below the floorplane. 'I'he trap casing 42 is elevated by the weights 44 connectedtherewith through cables 45, these being trained over guide pulleys 46suspended from beneath the floor 40.

The platform 4|, through a depending stem 41 operatively associated withconnections 48, operates spring-engaged latches 49 with the trap casing42, the latter being latched in lowered position so that the same whenreleased under the weights 44 will be elevated with relation to theplatform 4| and about the same for the trapping of the person treadingupon said platform. The platform 4| is normally ush with the surface ofthe iioor 40 and is held in this position by lifting springs 50 suitablyseated beneath and engaged against the said platform.

The trap casing in one side is provided with a doorway closed by a door5|, the latter being latched or otherwise made secure exteriorly of thecasing and when the door has been opened the trapped person will have anexit through the doorway from the trap casing 42.

Conveniently located within an enclosure or cage 52 occupied by one ofthe employees of the bank or institution is a manually operable rod 53having at its upper end the grip 54 and this rod is pivotally connectedto a dog having the double jaws 55, the said dog being pivotallysupported at 56 and the rod 53 is tensioned by a spring 51. This dog isoperable so that one of its jaws 55 will engage a keeper 58y when thetrap casing 42 has been raised above the floor level so as to preventthe person trapped from gaining release from the casing by lowering thesame, while the other jaw 55 can be thrown into position to engage akeeper 59 to lock the trap casing 42 against raising movement and thedog in this engaged position can be held by a lug 6l! on the rod 53which lug engages beneath the floor 40 when the rod 53 is depressed andmoved slightly off of a perpendicular or vertical position. The purposeof latching the trap casing 42 against raising movement is to avoid thepossibility of the trapping of an innocent person when stepping upon theplatform 4|.

It will be apparent that the platform has depending therefrom the stem4l which coacts with levers 6| upon shafts 62 journaled in suitablebearings 63 upon the stationary frame 64 and such levers 6| areoperatively connected with the latch bolts 49 as will be clearlyapparent from Figure 1 of the drawing.

The frame 64 is held secure by anchoring mediums 65 which are arrangedat the corners of said frame and are angularly joined with the floorstructure.

There are two keepers 58 at the lower end of the casing 42 and thesefunction also to limit the downward movement of the said casing, as willbe obvious.

What is claimed is:

In an appliance of the character described, a frame built within aflooring to provide an opening therethrough, a curbing within saidopening and outside of the frame for a distance removed therefrom, aplatform over said opening and having guide anges slidably fittedbetween the curbing and the frame, springs beneath said platform andactive to normally hold it flush with the ooring, horizontally disposedrock shafts `iournaled beneath the platform and supported by said frame,a trap casing vertically movable through the opening to entirelysurround said platform when in its raised position, guide ways providedat the opening and having the casing slidably fitted therewith, slidinglock bolts arranged opposite each other beneath the frame and curbingand engageable with the casing to hold the same lowered with the upperend ush With said platform, connections between the rock shafts,platform and said bolts for operating the latter on depression of theplatform, means for rapidly lifting the casing when released by thebolts to enclosing relation to said platform and manually controlledmeans conveniently located above the flooring and with respect to anoperator for the latching of the casing in a lowered or raised position.

HARRY JACKSON.

MARY E. JACKSON.

